Full name Frank Hay Gillingham Role Cricket Player Name Frank Gillingham | 1903–1928 Essex Batting style Right-handed Died April 1, 1953, Monaco | |
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Born 6 September 1875 ( 1875-09-06 ) Tokyo, Japan | ||
Frank Hay Gillingham (6 September 1875 – 1 April 1953) was an English cricketer. He played for Essex between 1903 and 1928.
Born in Tokyo to a J. Gillingham, he was educated at Dulwich College and Durham University. He worked in the city of London for a while but was ordained as a priest in 1899 and became curate of Leyton. He later became an army chaplain with the 2nd Battalion The South Wales Borderers at Tidworth from 1905 to 1907 and again as Temporary Chaplain to the Forces during the First World War.
As an amateur cricketer he was a member of the Essex XI who in 1905 beat the Australians at Leyton by 19 runs. He then went on to tour Jamaica with the Hon. L H Tennyson's team in 1927. That year he also made the first ball-by-ball cricket commentary for the BBC, speaking for a total of 25 minutes over four sessions. He was reportedly fired by BBC chairman Lord Reith for reading advertisement placards out on air to fill time during a rain break.
In 1939, the Reverend Gillingham was appointed Chaplain to the Royal household.